Comelec’s Garcia asks Congress to define vote-buying amid proposal to consider it as heinous crime

Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia on Tuesday asked Congress to explicitly define vote-buying following the filing of a bill which seeks to declare the election offense as a heinous crime.

“Sa aking palagay po para maging mas effective ‘yung penalty na ipapataw natin sa pamimili ng boto, kung ‘yan ay mas tataasan lalo dapat po muna nating i-define nang maayos, i-enumerate ano ang mga pamimili ng boto sa kasalukuyang panahon natin,” Garcia said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(For these proposed penalties against vote-buying to be effective, we should define it properly. We should enumerate the acts that will be considered as vote-buying in our current times.)

Garcia explained that the Omnibus Election Code, which was enacted in 1985, may no longer be effective in penalizing new forms of vote-buying.

“Nung panahon na ‘yun, ‘di pa uso ang pamimili sa pamamagitan ng online, sa pamamagitan ng makabagong pagpapadala ng pera, ‘yung mga pamimigay ng kung ano ano,” he said.

“Dati hindi pa po ‘yon considered na vote-buying. So therefore po, nangangahulugan na mukhang hindi po sapat yung mismong batas natin o depinisyon natin kung paguusapan ay vote-buying,” he added.

(At the time, they cannot buy votes using online means and platforms and it is not considered as vote-buying yet. Therefore, the definition of vote-buying in our current law is no longer effective.)

By defining vote-buying, Garcia said Congress can address the “loopholes” of the existing law.

Malasakit and Bayanihan Party-List Representative Anthony Golez has filed a bill declaring vote-buying as a heinous crime.

Under House Bill 1709, vote-buying is defined as giving and offering money or anything of value including the promise of employment in any office, and granting of a private or public contract in exchange of votes during elections.

Buyers and political parties who will be found guilty of vote-buying may face 20 to 40 years of imprisonment, fine of less than P5 million, and perpetual disqualification from holding public office under the proposed measure. — RSJ, GMA News